StonExpo 2006: ANOTHER Record-Breaking Event

The industry has spoken and the message is clear: StonExpo 2006 was the biggest and best event to date and has undoubtedly positioned itself as THE U.S. stone event

After an incredibly successful 2005 show, the industry once again committed to StonExpo and it paid off. With a sold-out exhibit floor and record attendance, StonExpo 2006 blew the doors off the South Halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center.
StonExpo 2006, which took place Nov. 9-11 in Las Vegas, drew a record total attendance of 7,556—that’s a 20% increase in attendance over the record-setting 2005 event! The show floor also increased by 25%, bringing fabricators, installers, architects, designers, distributors, builders, retailers and kitchen & bath specialists 102,200 net square feet of the latest stone, stone products, machinery, tools, accessories and more.
A record 264 exhibiting companies participated in this year’s show. In fact, StonExpo remains the only U.S. event where stone professionals can see ALL the leading stone slab, machinery, tool and supply companies such as Park Industries, GranQuartz, Breton, AGM, Z. Bavelloni, Salem Stone, Walker Zanger, Verona Marble Company, East West Stone and more.
“The Marble Institute had a fantastic tradeshow experience and the best member reception ever at StonExpo 2006 in Las Vegas,” says Gary Distelhorst, Executive Director, Marble Institute of America. “With hundreds of MIA members in attendance and a few thousand potential members at the show, we were busy in our booth almost every minute the tradeshow was open.”
“The prospects that visited our booth were actively buying and Bottero received several orders for both types of our machines, thanks to StonExpo Las Vegas,” says Carey Brayer, President, Bottero. “We anticipate many more orders to come, based on the feedback from attendees that visited our booth!”
“StonExpo is the best bet in Vegas,” says Jim Eckberg, Marketing Communications Manager, Park Industries. “You won't find a better, more complete stone show experience. From the classrooms to the show floor, there's so much to learn, so much to see, so much to do—for exhibitors as well as attendees.”
“StonExpo was one of the most rewarding professional experiences I have had in my career,” says Travis Barton, Morningstar Marble and Granite Inc., Topsham, Maine. “It isn't often that people in our field are able to come together in a single forum that offers such a wide array of activities and products to show.”

“Where else in the world are you going to have a gathering of the who's who in the stone industry in North America?” says Tom McNall, Great Northern Stone, Ontario, Canada. “If you are a vendor (which I was this year), every prospect worth their weight in gold is always there. If you are an attendee, every new product, service and time-saving equipment is there—not to mention the superb networking opportunities!”
“StonExpo is, without question, the most valuable business tool available to a fabricator today,” says Ronald Hannah, SFA, Cadenza Granite & Marble, Concord, N.C. “You simply must attend in order to stay current with our industry's equipment, tooling, techniques and trends.”
“StonExpo is a ‘must’ for increasing one's product knowledge,” says Sonny Kapoor, M S International, Inc., Orange, Calif.
The industry has also confirmed the need for quality education. An impressive 3,897 sessions were attended in this year’s Conference Program—a 13% increase over 2005! Serious stone professionals took advantage of 36 expert-led courses in 5 targeted tracks and gained valuable information they can implement in their businesses immediately to increase profitability and profits.
“The seminars at StonExpo 2006 were better than any other conference I have attended!” says Don Halvorson, Forensic Tile Consultant, Thousand Oaks, Calif. “They were also even better attended than previous shows. A lot of times the courses on countertops are the most popular, but at StonExpo there was a great interest in all educational presentations!”
"I have personally conducted several natural stone training programs for our customers, but StonExpo has been extremely helpful in enhancing my knowledge through seminars and networking at the show,” adds Kapoor.
“The conferences that my company attended have proven to be very helpful in the way we go about our business,” says Barton. “From here on, things will be changing for the better—I'm sure of it!”
“Design Elements That Complement Stone was a ‘wow’ class for moving your company to the next level of professionalism,” notes Deanna Brandt, Eugene Tile & Marble, Eugene, Ore.
“The seminar I attended (Top 10 Reasons For Stone Business Failure) was a great presentation—very direct,” says Steve Jorgensen, Bedrock Quartz Surfaces, West Jordan, Utah. “The information was very relevant to fabricators and what we’re doing.”
Miles Francis, Palisade Marble & Granite, Las Vegas, Nev., had just three words to say about the StonExpo 2006 Conference Program: “Awesome. Thank you!”
The Stone Live! educational sessions on the show floor were also a huge hit. Fabricators, installers, designers, architects and others received up-close instruction on challenging applications such as installing large mosaic medallions, sealing natural stone floors and installing and maintaining countertops. Many of the demonstrations were standing room only!
“The introduction of Stone Live! is great because it allows fabricators to see how things should be done,” says Hannah. “This will help elevate the quality of the work they do in the industry.”

“I found a number of seminars quite interesting and very informative,” says TJ Sowieja,
Pine’s Stone Company, Glenwood Springs, Colo. “But the Stone Live! presentation I attended on sealing stone offered really valuable information I can use in my business.”
After two busy days at StonExpo, attendees and exhibitors were ready to relax and have fun. The Welcome Reception, which took place on the show floor at the end of day Friday, Nov. 10, provided beverages and snacks to attendees while they continued to cover the show floor and network with exhibitors and peers.
Attendees stopped by the booths of the following reception sponsors to see their latest products and services while they enjoyed food and drinks: Eurostone/Pyramid, Hard Rock Tool, Hiab, Inc., Matrix Stone Products, Park Industries, Regent Stone Products, Sommer & Maca, Water Treatment Technologies and Z. Bavelloni.
“The neat things that distinguish StonExpo from other shows are that it is a stone-only show and that it attracts high-quality attendees,” notes Distelhorst. “The serious players are at StonExpo because of the quality of the exhibits, the quality of the education and the quality of attendees to network with.
“StonExpo is getting bigger and better every year, and MIA is extremely proud to be its sponsor, and to grow right along with it.”
"When I think of StonExpo every year, I do not even begin to think if I am too busy to go or if I cannot afford to go,” says McNall. “The reality of the situation is that I cannot afford to miss StonExpo for even one year.”
“Nothing beats the StonExpo experience to connect you to other stoneworkers and allow you to become more involved with the stoneworking industry,” says Eckberg.
StonExpo 2006 took place Nov. 9-11, 2006 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada. For details on exhibiting at or attending the 2007 show, call 866.550.6808 or 972.536.6440 or visit www.StonExpo.com.
StonExpo’s Official Sponsors are the Marble Institute of America (MIA) and Natural Stone Council. The mission of the MIA is to promote the use of natural stone and be the world's most authoritative natural stone information resource. Membership in the association is worldwide and includes nearly 1,500 natural stone producers, exporters/importers, distributors/wholesalers, fabricators, finishers, installers, and industry suppliers—all committed to the highest standards of workmanship and ethics.
The Natural Stone Council is the leader in the stone industry that represents the major associations who are committed to promotion and education of the industry and general public of the value and benefits of natural stone. Additional sponsors include: American Monument Association, Canadian Stone Association, Elberton Granite Association, National Building Granite Quarries Association and Northwest Granite Manufacturers Association.
StonExpo’s Official Endorsers are Veronafiere/Marmomacc, Milanez & Milaneze/Vitüria Stone Fair and Allied Stone Industries.